Council OKs declaration of drought

CARLSBAD 
Carlsbad residents will have to cut back on their use of water beginning July 1 under a drought-emergency plan approved by the City Council.

The drought plan imposes an 8 percent cut in water consumption.

It affects customers of the Carlsbad Municipal Water District, which supplies all but the southernmost part of the city. That section is served by the Vallecitos and Olivenhain Municipal water districts, which also have adopted drought measures.

The council approved the drought declaration 4-0 on Tuesday with Mark Packard absent.

Mark Stone, the city's deputy public works director, said in an interview that the major effect on residents will be limits on outdoor use.

Residents will be limited to watering three days a week for no more than 10 minutes per irrigation station. Stone said the city will inform residents by mail what days they can water.

“They're going to have to pay more attention to their water use, especially outdoors,“ Stone said.

Residents also will have to irrigate between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. and will be prohibited from spraying down driveways, patios and sidewalks.

The council has scheduled a hearing for June 23 to consider adopting an 8 percent increase in water rates. It also will consider a tiered-rate structure that increases the cost of water as more is used in the hope that it will increase conservation. The Southern California Metropolitan Water District adopted a 19 percent rate increase, which affects the San Diego County Water Authority, the region's wholesale water supplier. The authority passes the increase on to local water agencies.